Partisan divide persists in call for weapons ban

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The Newtown school massacre is amplifying ongoing calls for a ban on assault weapons – and has prompted two National Rifle Association members in the U.S. Senate to announce they'd ended opposition to more regulation of such guns.

But a partisan divide on the issue continues among Orange County's congressional delegation and county voters.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-San Francisco, who authored a ban that lasted from 1994 to 2004, said Monday she would introduce a similar measure on the first day of the 2013 congressional session. She has been working on the bill for a year.

The White House said that President Barack Obama supports such a measure – something he's backed since first running for president. NRA members and U.S. Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said they were now open to great regulation of assault weapons.

But Reps. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Costa Mesa, and John Campbell, R-Irvine, said they remained opposed to additional restriction of those weapons.

“I don't punish people who haven't committed a crime and I'm not going to diminish the rights of law-abiding citizens because the actions of people who are mentally unstable,” said Rohrabacher, adding that he doubted Feinstein's bill would fare any better than similar measures introduced in Congress at least three times since 2004.

“I don't see any slippage,” Rohrabacher said.

Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Santa Ana, has long backed a ban on assault weapons.

“Americans are tired of all talk following these senseless tragedies – we must take concrete action, and that starts in Congress and the White House,” Sanchez said. “I have supported in the past and continue to support common-sense measures, including a ban on assault weapons and closing the gun-show loophole. The lives of these children will not be lost in vain.”

The “gun-show loophole” allows people in some states to buy weapons at gun shows without background checks.

Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Lakewood, is also a longtime supporter of an assault weapon ban who opposes the gun-show loophole.

Rep.-elect Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, also said he fully supports Feinstein's proposal – and would be open to considering additional gun controls as well.

“It's an appropriate first step,” Lowenthal said. “The whole issue of violence and conflict in our society needs to be addressed.”

All of Orange County's congressional delegation for the upcoming 113th Congress was queried about additional regulations on assault weapons. As of Monday night, Rep. Ed Royce, R-Fullerton, and Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista had not responded.

Of 40 Republican respondents to an OC Political Pulse survey, 75 percent said they opposed a federal ban on assault weapons. All 20 Democratic respondents said they not only support a ban but would like to see it apply to all privately owned assault weapons.

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